Water-cooling radiator structure with pump

ABSTRACT

A water-cooling radiator structure with pump includes a pump having a water outlet and a water inlet; and a water-cooling radiator including a first chamber that has a water-receiving room and a plurality of mutually communicable water passages therein. The water-receiving room is filled with a working fluid that reaches a level. The first chamber is externally provided with an outlet and an inlet as well as a pump mounting recess for mounting the pump therein. The water outlet and the water inlet are located corresponding to the outlet and the inlet, respectively, to be communicable with the water-receiving room and located lower than or flush with the level of the working fluid in the water-receiving room. And, the pump is detachably integrated into the water-cooling radiator. With these arrangements, it is able to overcome the problem of failed operation of the pump when the water-cooling radiator is laid horizontally.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a water-cooling radiator structure with pump, and more particularly, to a water-cooling radiator structure that has a pump integrated thereinto to solve the problem of failed operation of the pump when the water-cooling radiator is laid horizontally.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The currently available water cooling module includes at least one water block, a pump, a water-cooling radiator, and a plurality of tubes for serially connecting the above-mentioned components. The pump is mainly used to drive the cooling water in the water-cooling module to circulate through the water-cooling module. The water block is in contact with a heat source to absorb the heat produced by the heat source. The cooling water carries the heat away from the water block to the water-cooling radiator for cooling. Then, the cooled water is pumped into the water block by the pump to complete one cycle of the cooling circulation.

Conventionally, the water-cooling radiator must be provided outside a system to facilitate heat dissipation of the circulating cooling water; and the water-cooling radiator is serially connected to the pump via pipes. In the event the pump is located at a relatively far distance from the water-cooling radiator, a pump with higher power must be selected to enable smooth driving of the cooling water into the water-cooling radiator for circulation. Since the high-power pump inevitably produces increased noise and occupies more space, some manufacturers try to mount the pump directly at a water outlet or a water inlet of the water-cooling radiator in an attempt to directly pressurize the cooling water and drive it into the water-cooling radiator for circulating and overcome the problems of the distantly mounted ordinary pump and the large space occupied by the high-power pump. However, there are times the water-cooling radiator has to be laid horizontally to adapt to the available mounting position. In this case, the cooling water in the water-cooling radiator might have a level lower than the water outlet or the water inlet, resulting in a situation that the pump mounted at the water outlet or the water inlet could not draw any cooling water via the water outlet or the water inlet, which would cause failed pump operation and stopped cooling water circulation. In a worse condition, the pump might even become damaged. In the case the pump is integrally mounted at the water outlet or the water inlet of the water-cooling radiator, it is impossible to replace the pump alone if the pump were damaged. This would also stop the cooling water from continuously circulating in the water-cooling module. It is therefore an important target of persons skilled in the art to overcome the drawbacks in the conventional water-cooling module.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a water-cooling radiator structure with pump, which solves the problem of failed operation of the pump when the water-cooling radiator is laid horizontally.

To achieve the above and other objects, the water-cooling radiator structure according to the present invention includes a pump and a water-cooling radiator.

The pump has a water outlet and a water inlet; and the water-cooling radiator includes a first chamber internally having a water-receiving room and a plurality of mutually communicable water passages. The water-receiving room has a working fluid received therein and the working fluid has a level in the water-receiving room. The first chamber is provided with an outlet and an inlet as well as a pump mounting recess for mounting the pump therein. The water outlet and the water inlet are located corresponding to the outlet and the inlet, respectively, to be communicable with the water-receiving room and located at a height lower than or flush with the level of the working fluid in the water-receiving room. And, the pump is detachably integrated into the water-cooling radiator for pumping and circulating the working fluid through the water-cooling radiator.

In the present invention, the pump is detachably integrated into the first chamber of the water-cooling radiator, so that the pump and the water-cooling radiator form an integrated unit. In the event the pump is damaged, it can be quickly replaced with another one. Meanwhile, the water outlet and the water inlet of the pump are located lower than or flush with the level of the working fluid in the water-receiving room. Therefore, the pump can always continue its operation for pumping and circulating the working fluid, no matter the water-cooling radiator is laid vertically or horizontally.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a water-cooling radiator structure with pump according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2a is a cutaway view of the water-cooling radiator structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2b is a top sectional view of the water-cooling radiator structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3a is a cutaway view of a water-cooling radiator structure with pump according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3b is a top sectional view of the water-cooling radiator structure of FIG. 3 a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described with some preferred embodiments thereof and by referring to the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of easy to understand, elements that are the same in the preferred embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals. And, for the purpose of conciseness and clarity, the present invention is also briefly referred to as the water-cooling radiator structure and generally denoted by reference numeral 1 herein.

Please refer to FIGS. 1, 2 a and 2 b, which are exploded perspective, cutaway and top sectional views, respectively, of a water-cooling radiator structure 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the water-cooling radiator structure 1 in the first embodiment includes a pump 11 and a water-cooling radiator 12.

The pump 11 has a water outlet 111 and a water inlet 112.

The water-cooling radiator 12 includes a first chamber 121 internally having a water-receiving room 12 a, and a plurality of mutually communicable water passages 13 aa. The water-receiving room 12 a has a working fluid 2 received therein. The first chamber 121 is provided at an outer side thereof with an outlet 1211 and an inlet 1212, as well as a pump mounting recess 123 for mounting the pump 11 therein, such that the pump 11 is detachably integrated into the water-cooling radiator 12.

The water-cooling radiator 12 further includes a second chamber 122. The first and the second chamber 121, 122 are communicable with each other via a group of communicating members (or tubes) 13, and the communicable water passages 13 aa are respectively provided in each of the group of communicating members 13. The first chamber 121, the second chamber 122 and the group of communicating members 13 together define the water-receiving room 12 a. The working fluid 2 is pumped into the water-receiving room 12 a and the communicable water passages 13 aa by the pump 11 for circulating through the water-cooling radiator 12. And, the group of communicating members 13 is externally provided with a plurality of radiating fins 14.

The first chamber 121 is divided into a first, a second, a third and a fourth water-receiving compartment 121 a, 121 b, 121 c and 121 d. The first water-receiving compartment 121 a is provided with a water inlet port 124, and the fourth water-receiving compartment 121 d is provided with a water outlet port 125. The first, second, third and fourth water-receiving compartments 121 a-121 d are separated from and independent of one another. The second chamber 122 is divided into a fifth and a sixth water-receiving compartment 122 a, 122 b, which are independent of each other. The group of communicating members 13 includes a plurality of first, second, third and fourth communicating members 13 a, 13 b, 13 c and 13 d. The first and the second water-receiving compartment 121 a, 121 b communicate with the fifth water-receiving compartment 122 a via the first and the second communicating members 13 a, 13 b; and the third and the fourth water-receiving compartment 121 c, 121 d communicate with the sixth water-receiving compartment 122 b via the third and the fourth communicating members 13 c, 13 d.

Please refer to FIGS. 3a and 3b , which are cutaway and top sectional views, respectively, of a water-cooling radiator structure with pump according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the water-cooling radiator structure in the second embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first embodiment. Therefore, parts of the second embodiment the same as those in the first embodiment are not repeatedly described herein. The second embodiment is different from the first one in that the pump mounting recess 123 is provided at an inner side facing toward the first chamber 121 with a connecting flow passage 126. More specifically, the connecting flow passage 126 is located in the second water-receiving compartment 121 b of the first chamber 121 to communicate with the outlet 1211 and the inlet 1212. The connecting flow passage 126 provides a winding water path, which makes the working fluid 2 to flow directionally in the water-cooling radiator 11. In the second embodiment, the water-cooling radiator structure 1 further includes a first pipe 3 and a second pipe 4, which are connected to the water inlet port 124 and the water outlet port 125, respectively.

Please refer to FIGS. 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b . As shown, the water-cooling radiator structure 1 according to the present invention is designed mainly to overcome the problem in the conventional water-cooling radiator that the conventional water-cooling radiator laid horizontally would stop circulating the cooling fluid because the water outlet and the water inlet of the pump are located lower than the level of the cooling water and no water could be drawn into the pump via them.

According to the present invention, the pump 11 and the water-cooling radiator 12 are integrated into one unit, and the pump 11 is located between the water inlet port 124 and the water outlet port 125. The purpose of this arrangement is to overcome the problem of the conventional water-cooling radiator that could not draw in water when being laid horizontally. According to the present invention, the group of communicating members 13, i.e. the first, second, third and fourth communicating members 13 a-13 d, each have two open ends and a hollow intermediate section communicable with the two open ends. When the working fluid 2 enters the first water-receiving compartment 121 a of the first chamber 121 via the water inlet port 124, it flows through the first communicating members 13 a and is guided from the first water-receiving compartment 121 a into the fifth water-receiving compartment 122 a of the second chamber 122. Thereafter, the working fluid 2 flows through the second communicating members 13 b and is guided from the fifth water-receiving compartment 122 a into the second water-receiving compartment 121 b. With the connecting flow passage 126 that forms a winding path in the second water-receiving compartment 121 b and has a middle portion communicating with the outlet 1211, the second water-receiving compartment 121 b is fluidly connected to the pump 11 outside the first chamber 121 via the outlet 1211. Therefore, the working fluid 2 in the second water-receiving compartment 121 b is guided into the pump 11 via the water outlet 111 of the pump 11. The working fluid 2 guided into the pump 11 is pressurized and discharged from the pump 11 via the water inlet 112 of the pump 11. The working fluid 2 discharged from the pump 11 enters the third water-receiving compartment 121 c via the inlet 1212, which is located corresponding to the third water-receiving compartment 121 c and communicable with the water inlet 112. The working fluid 2 flows through the third communicating members 13 c and is guided into the sixth water-receiving compartment 122 b. Finally, the working fluid 2 flows through the fourth communicating members 13 d and is guided from the sixth water-receiving compartment 122 b into the fourth water-receiving compartment 121 d, from where the working fluid 2 is discharged from the first chamber 121 of the water-cooling radiator 12 via the water outlet port 125 provided at the fourth water-receiving compartment 121 d.

The above describes the circulation path for circulating the working fluid 2 through the first and the second chamber 121, 122 of the water-cooling radiator 12. The technical feature of the present invention that improves the conventional water-cooling radiator lies in that the outlet 1211 and the outlet 1212 provided at the second water-receiving compartment 121 b and the water outlet 111 and the water inlet 112 of the pump 11 correspondingly integrated into the outer side of the second water-receiving compartment 121 b all are located lower than or flush with the level of the working fluid 2. With this design, the pump 11 can always continue its operation for pumping and circulating the working fluid 2 without being affected by the position of the water-cooling radiator 12. In other words, according to the present invention, the pump 11 can always pump and circulate the working fluid 2 no matter the water-receiving radiator 12 is laid vertically or horizontally. Accordingly, the drawback of the conventional water-cooling radiator is eliminated.

The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A water-cooling radiator structure with pump, comprising: a pump having a water outlet and a water inlet; and a water-cooling radiator including a first chamber internally having a water-receiving room and a plurality of mutually communicable water passages; the water-receiving room having a working fluid received therein and the working fluid having a level in the water-receiving room; the first chamber being provided with an outlet and an inlet as well as a pump mounting recess for mounting the pump therein; the water outlet and the water inlet being located corresponding to the outlet and the inlet, respectively, to be communicable with the water-receiving room and located lower than or flush with the level of the working fluid in the water-receiving room; and the pump being detachably integrated into the water-cooling radiator.
 2. The water-cooling radiator structure with pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water-cooling radiator further includes a second chamber, which is communicable with the first chamber via a group of communicating members; the communicable water passages being respectively provided in each of the group of communicating members; the first chamber, the second chamber and the group of communicating members together defining the water-receiving room; and the working fluid being pumped into the water-receiving room and the communicable water passages by the pump for circulating through the water-cooling radiator.
 3. The water-cooling radiator structure with pump as claimed in claim 2, wherein the group of communicating members is externally provided with a plurality of radiating fins.
 4. The water-cooling radiator structure with pump as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first chamber is divided into a first, a second, a third and a fourth water-receiving compartment; the first water-receiving compartment being provided with a water inlet port and the fourth water-receiving compartment being provided with a water outlet port; and the first, second, third and fourth water-receiving compartments being separated from and independent of one another; wherein the second chamber is divided into a fifth and a sixth water-receiving compartment, which are independent of each other; and wherein the group of communicating members includes a plurality of first, second, third and fourth communicating members; the first and the second water-receiving compartment communicating with the fifth water-receiving compartment via the first and the second communicating members; and the third and the fourth water-receiving compartment communicating with the sixth water-receiving compartment via the third and the fourth communicating members.
 5. The water-cooling radiator structure with pump as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a first pipe and a second pipe, which are connected to the water inlet port and the water outlet port, respectively.
 6. The water-cooling radiator structure with pump as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pump mounting recess is provided at an inner side facing toward the first chamber with a connecting flow passage; the connecting flow passage being located in the second water-receiving compartment to communicate with the outlet and the inlet.
 7. The water-cooling radiator structure with pump as claimed in claim 2, wherein the communicating members each have two open ends and a hollow intermediate section communicable with the two open ends. 